FLYMASTERCalifornia · river
American River
The American River is a 30-mile-long (50 km) river in California that runs from the Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento. Via the Sacramento River, it is part of the San Francisco Bay watershed. From Wikipedia
- Length
- 30 mi
- Basin
- 2,150 sq mi
- Flows into
- Sacramento River
Flow now
American R A Fair Oaks CA, 5 mi from the river.
1,230cfsat build, Nov 12, 12 PM MT
The typical week here, from 10 years of record: 1,120 cfs to 2,030 cfs, around 1,860 cfs.
Water temperature at the gauge: 58°F.
Also gauged at Sacramento R A Freeport CA: 6,760 cfs, Nov 12.
The season, November
Usually workable this week. Pick your window and fish it well.
- Midgessizes 18 to 22
- Small eggs and worms
- Pheasant tail and zebra midge nymphsunder an indicator
Typical for the week over 10 years: 1,120 to 2,030 cfs. Running 1,230 cfs today, inside that range. Flows are not forecast; check the gauge the day before.
Brown Trout are spawning (October to December). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.
Brook Trout are spawning (September to November). Stay off clean, light-coloured gravel in riffle tails and pool tailouts, and leave paired fish alone.
Mountain Whitefish are spawning (October to December). The egg bite behind spawning whitefish is the best winter nymphing of the year: an egg pattern below the riffles.
- Egg patterns in the runs below the spawning gravel, never on it.
Written by the app's rules engine from the calendar, the gauge record and the snowpack, not by hand, so it says only what the data says. The weather for the week comes with the app.
Fly shops on this water
- Fly Fishing Specialties Citrus HeightsWebsiteFishing report, updated Nov 3
Open American River in FlyMaster for today's plan, the flies, and your own log here.
Flows from the U.S. Geological Survey, snowpack from the NRCS SNOTEL network, text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Built Nov 12.